The Gods Read: Percy Jackson, The Lighting Thief
by StereKlaine
Summary: Percy, Grover, Thalia, Annabeth and Nico go back in time to read the 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Series with the Gods. Rated T because there teens :P DISCONTINUED
1. I Accidentally Vaporize my PreAlgebra T

**Heeeeeeeeeeey guys! Hope you like it! **

**Disclamer:**

**SAM: I dont own PJO, but can i?**

**RICK: NO!**

**SAM: plzzzzzz**

**RICK: NEVER!**

**SAM: FINE! Since im not a guy i DO NOT own PJO! *sad face***

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 1<span>**

Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Grover and Thalia were all hanging out in Percy's cabin. They were all pretty excited since it had been a couple months since the war had ended. Suddenly, a package fell out of nowhere and hit Percy on the head.

"Ow!" Exclaimed Percy. Everyone started laughing "why is it always me who gets hit or punch or-" Annabeth cut him off.

"Look, it's a package." She said as she opened it.

"What's in it?" asked Nico.

"It… six books and a letter."

"What does the letter say?" asked Thalia. Just to let you know since Thalia did such a good job during the Titan War and she's been working so hard, Artemis allowed her to take some time off at Camp Half-Blood.

_Dear Percy, Nico, Grover, Thalia and Annabeth, _

_You will all be sent back in time to read these books with the gods, Lord Hades and Lady Hestia. These books will be very important for the gods to know. Make sure they change nothing to affect the future. You must also annouce your parentage to the gods before the reading begins. _

_P.S. don't let the gods kill you either._

_With Love,_

_Apollo_

"Well, how do we go back in time?" wondered Grover. Just then a bright light engulfed them and they were transported to Olympus, 11 years in the past.

_***AT OLYMPUS***_

**Zeus's POV**

I was sooo mad right now! I had just turned my own daughter into a tree to keep her from dying. I marched over to Hades and began to strangle him.

"How dare you send those monsters after my daughter!" I screamed at him. He was just about to replay when there was a bright light and four kids and a satyr were standing in the middle of the room.

"Umm… Hi?" said the blond one. The first boy looked to be about 16; he had messy black hair and green eyes. The second boy looked about 13 or 14; he had black hair and eyes. There were also two girls, the first one had blond hair and grey eyes, and she looked to be about 16. And from the fact she was holding the first boys hand, I'd say they were going out. The second girl had spikey black hair and blue eyes.

I was just about to say something when my wife beat me to it.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here." It was more of a demand then a question.

The satyr spoke up and said "we are from the future and have been sent here to read books with you." As he told us this the girl with black hair gave me note; I read it out loud for the other Olympians to hear.

*note here* (don't wanna type it again :P)

"Cool" said Apollo "I sent these guys from the future!"

"Well," said Poseidon "I suppose we should get Hestia."

"I'm down here." Said a voice

"Ah, sorry Hestia," said my brother "you're always so quiet down there."

"It's quit alright." She said.

"We should probaly start reading this books" Athena said as I made five chairs appear. Hestia and the kids sat down.

"But, before we begin, you must tell us who you are." I told them

The satyr stood up a little nervously "Ummm… I am, Grover Underwood, the satyr." I was shocked. This was the satyr that let Thalia die! I stood up in rage but before I could say anything the girl with spikey black hair stood up.

"I am Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus and lutenient of Artemis" She said as she bowed to me and then to Artemis. When I heard that I stopped.

"How? You just got turned into a tree. It's not possi-" she cut me off. "It will be explained in one of the books." She assured me as I sat down.

The other girl stood up "I am Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena." She said as she bowed to Athena.

The boy with black hair and eyes spoke up next "my name is Nico Di'Angelo, Son of Hades." At this out of the corner of my eye I saw Hades eyes go wide as his son nelt at his feet. Before me and my brother could say anything we were intruupted by the next voice.

"I am Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon"

**Poseidon's POV**

My eyes went wide, I couldn't believe my ears! This was my son from the future! Right now Percy was only 7 years old.

I looked over at my brothrs, they looked pretty mad.

Just then Ares spoke up "Before you guys all kill each other...what are the names of the books?" he asked

Nico looked at the book titles and read "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Sea of Monsters, Percy Jacks-"

Hermes cut him off "we know there all Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The title of the book!" he said

"Shesh. The Titans Curse, the battle of the Labyrinth, the Demi-god files and The Last Olympian." He finished

Annabeth laughed "hey Percy, these books are all told in your point of view!"

Percy sighed "oh no."

"We all get to find out your thoughts during our adventures!" Grover said excitedly

Thalia spoke up "like what you thought of the adventures, and about who went on them with you…" This made Annabeth blush.

"Yeah I wonder what you thought about Annabeth" said Nico.

"Can we just read?" asked Percy

"Very well," said my brother "and since there your books, you can read first." He said, Nico then tossed Percy the first book.

**No One's POV**

**"I Accidentally Vaporize my Pre-Algebra Teacher," Percy read.**

"_Oh no!" _Poseidon thought_ "it's only the first chapter and his already in trouble"_

**Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.**

All the half-bloods nodded in agreement

**If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is:**

"Percy," Thalia said "you should not be giving advice"

Percy stuck his tough out at her and continued to read.

**Close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.**

"That's not the wises advise." Said Athena

"Hey," said Poseidon "he was twelve." Everyone gave him a weird look for defending the demi-god.

**Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.**

Ares smiled. "Those are the best ways!"

**If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think its fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.**

**But if you recognize yourself in these pages—if you feel something stirring inside—stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you.**

"Oooo," said Apollo "I'm scared."

**Don't say I didn't warn you.**

**My name is Percy Jackson.**

"No really?" stated Dionysus

**I'm twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.**

**Am I a troubled kid?**

"Yes!" coursed all the demi-gods.

"Hurtful." Said Percy

**Yeah. You could say that.**

"Ha! He even admits it." Said Hera

**I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan— twenty-eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.**

"That sounds like torture." Said Poseidon. Most of the other gods agreed.

"No its not!" said Annabeth "it's fun and educational" finished her mother

**I know—it sounds like torture.**

Poseidon smiled at the fact that he thought like his son

**Most Yancy field trips were.**

**But Mr. Brunner, **

"Isn't that what you called Chiron when you first came to camp?" asked Annabeth

Percy nodded

**Our Latin teacher was leading this trip, so I had hopes.**

**Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee. You wouldn't think he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had this awesome collection of Roman armor and weapons,**

"Why roman weapons?" wondered Artemis

**So he was the only teacher whose class didn't put me to sleep.**

"How could you sleep in class?" asked Athena

"Well, class does get boring." Said Hermes

**I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble.**

**Boy was I wrong.**

"Completely wrong." Said Grover.

"Hey!" said Percy

"Well it was pretty bad."

**See, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming for the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway.**

Everyone burst out laughing.

"What were you aiming for?" asked Nico between breaths

Percy just shrugged

**And before that, at my fourth-grade school, when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sort of hit the wrong lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim. And the time before that... Well, you get the idea.**

"Awww, I wanted to hear more." Said Hephaestus

**This trip, I was determined to be good.**

"Like that'll happen." Said Annabeth

**All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded kleptomaniac girl, hitting my best friend Grover in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich.**

"EWWWW!" Screeched Aphrodite, Hera and Demeter

**Grover was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled.**

"Wow, thanks man" Said Grover "I feel so loved."

"hey," said Thalia "just wait to see how he describes Annabeth."

"ooo," said Nico "that should be good." Percy and Annabeth blushed

**He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.**

"way to blow your cover goat boy." Said Ares

"im sorry but you should've tasted those enchiladas" replayed grover

**Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation. The headmaster had threatened me with death by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.**

**"I'm going to kill her," I mumbled.**

"YES!" said Ares "some action."

**Grover tried to calm me down. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."**

**He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch.**

**"That's it." I started to get up, but Grover pulled me back to my seat.**

"awww. Why's you do that?" asked ares

**"You're already on probation," he reminded me. "You know who'll get blamed if anything happens."**

**Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there.**

**In-school suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.**

**Mr. Brunner led the museum tour.**

**He rode up front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery.**

**It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.**

"Longer than that" said Athena

**He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top, and started telling us how it was a grave marker, steel, for a girl about our age. He told us about the carvings on the sides. I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.**

**Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker. **

"Heeey!" said Ares "she stole my ride"

**She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown.**

"I wonder what she did to her" asked Thalia

**From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn. She would point her crooked finger at me and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month.**

**One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight, I told Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, "You're absolutely right."**

"Dude! Don't blow your cover so easily" said Apollo

**Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.**

**Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the steel, and I turned around and said, "Will you shut up?"**

**It came out louder than I meant it to.**

**The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner stopped his story.**

**"Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"**

**My face was totally red. I said, "No, sir."**

**Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?**

**I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. "That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"**

Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera and Demeter shivered at the thought

**"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied.**

**"And he did this because ..."**

**"Well..." I racked my brain to remember. "Kronos was the king god,**

"GOD?" Zeus boomed and all hades broke lose

"Calm down everyone!" Poseidon shouted "im sure Chiron will correct him"

**And—"**

**"God?" Mr. Brunner asked.**

"See?" Poseidon said

**"Titan," I corrected myself. "And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—"**

"Eww!" said Aphrodite

**"Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me.**

Some of the gods laughed at that

**"—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans," I continued, "and the gods won."**

"OF COURSE WE DID!" yelled Hermes "We are AWESOME!"

**Some snickers from the group.**

**Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"**

**"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"**

"Busted" said Hades

**"Busted," Grover muttered.**

**"Shut up," Nancy hissed her face even brighter red than her hair.**

**At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had radar ears.**

**I thought about his question, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."**

**"I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed. "Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"**

**The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses.**

"Don't all guys?" asked Artemis

"Just then to prove her point, Apollo, Hermes and Ares slid off there thrones and started pushing each other around.

"I guess that answers my question."

**Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Mr. Jackson."**

**I knew that was coming. I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. "Sir?"**

**Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a thousand years old and had seen everything.**

"Older then that" said Annabeth

**"You must learn the answer to my question," Mr. Brunner told me.**

**"About the Titans?"**

**"About real life. And how your studies apply to it."**

**"Oh."**

"Great answer kid." Said Hephaestus

**"What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."**

**I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard.**

**I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman armor and shouted: "What ho!'" and challenged us, sword-point against chalk, to run to the board and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever lived, and their mother, and what god they worshipped.**

**But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C— in my life. No—he didn't expect me to be as good; he expected me to be better. And I just couldn't learn all those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.**

**I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the steel, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.**

"He probably had" said Aphrodite

**He told me to go outside and eat my lunch.**

**The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue.**

**Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city. I figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York State had been weird since Christmas.**

Everyone gave Zeus a weird look. "Hey." He said "I don't know what im doing but, I must be mad."

"Oh," Grover said "Trust me, he's mad."

"Why?" asked Hestia "what happened?"

"It will explained in the book" said Percy

**We'd had massive snow storms, flooding, and wildfires from lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in.**

Now everyone looked at Poseidon and he just shrugged

**Nobody else seemed to notice. Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with Lunchables crackers. Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse,**

"Maybe she your daughter Hermes." Said Hades

Hermes shivered at the thought

**and, of course, Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.**

**Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others. We thought that maybe if we did that, everybody wouldn't know we were from that school—the school for loser freaks who couldn't make it elsewhere.**

**"Detention?" Grover asked.**

**"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius."**

"We've figured that out" said Dionysus

**Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"**

Everyone started laughing. "All satyrs are the same" said Dionysus

"Sorry," Grover said.

"Don't worry about it," Percy shrugged.

**I didn't have much of an appetite, so I let him take it.**

**I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home. She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years and I was probably going to be kicked out again. I wouldn't be able to stand that sad look she'd give me.**

A couple of 'awwws' escaped the goddesses mouths.

Poseidon smiled at the thought of Sally.

**Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized cafe table.**

"Wow, I never thought of that." Said Hephaestus

**I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap.**

"Gross!" screamed Aphrodite

**"Oops." She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.**

**I tried to stay cool. The school counselor had told me a million times, "Count to ten, get control of your temper." But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.**

**I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"**

**Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.**

**Some of the kids were whispering: "Did you see—"**

**"—the water—"**

**"—like it grabbed her—"**

**I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.**

**As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. "Now, honey—"**

**"I know," I grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."**

"That was the wrong thing to say" said Hades

"Never guess your punisment" said Hermes

**That wasn't the right thing to say.**

**"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.**

**"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. I pushed her."**

"Thanks for that anyways G-man." Said Percy

"No problem." Grover replayed

**I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death.**

**She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled.**

**"I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.**

**"But—"**

**"You—will—stay—here."**

**Grover looked at me desperately.**

**"It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."**

**"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "Now."**

**Nancy Bobofit smirked.**

**I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare.**

"That must have been Terrifying!" exaggerated Thalia

**Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on.**

**How'd she get there so fast?**

Poseidon looked over at hades "that better not be what I think it is." He warned

**I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it. The school counselor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things.**

**I wasn't so sure.**

**I went after Mrs. Dodds.**

**Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going on, but Mr. Brunner was absorbed in his novel.**

**I looked back up. Mrs. Dodds had disappeared again. She was now inside the building, at the end of the entrance hall.**

**Okay, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.**

**But apparently that wasn't the plan.**

**I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section.**

**Except for us, the gallery was empty.**

"of corse" said Zeus "monsters dont like human witenesses."

**Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.**

**Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it...**

**"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said.**

**I did the safe thing. I said, "Yes, ma'am."**

**She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with it?"**

**The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil.**

**She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me.**

"Wrong" said Nico

**I said, "I'll—I'll try harder, ma'am."**

**Thunder shook the building.**

**"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."**

**I didn't know what she was talking about.**

**All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been selling out of my dorm room.**

"Nice!" said Hermes giving Percy a high-five

**Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on Tom Sawyer from the Internet without ever reading the book and now they were going to take away my grade. Or worse, they were going to make me read the book.**

"It's really a great book seaweed brain!" exclaimed Annabeth

**"Well?" she demanded.**

**"Ma'am, I don't..."**

**"Your time is up," she hissed.**

**Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shriveled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons.**

"IS THAT A FURY?" screamed Poseidon "you sent a fury after my son?"

"Dad!" said Percy trying to calm down his father "it's alright! Im right here!"

**Then things got even stranger.**

**Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.**

Percy smiled; he remembered his first time using Riptide.

**"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.**

**Mrs. Dodds lunged at me.**

**With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear. I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.**

**Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.**

**My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.**

"Weakling" said Ares

"Yeah," mumbled Percy "a weakling who kicked you butt"

"What was that?" asked Ares

"Nothing"

**She snarled, "Die, honey!"**

**And she flew straight at me.**

**Absolute terror ran through my body. I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the sword.**

**The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water. Hisss!**

"Wow," said Demeter "you beat a Fury on your first try. that was good but if you ate more cereal it would be easier."

**Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan. She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulfur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.**

The demi-gods shivered

**I was alone.**

**There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.**

**Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.**

**My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms or something.**

"Magic mushrooms?" they asked

Percy shrugged

**Had I imagined the whole thing?**

**I went back outside.**

**It had started to rain.**

**Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."**

"Who?" asked Poseidon

**I said, "Who?"**

**"Our teacher. Duh!"**

**I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about.**

**She just rolled her eyes and turned away.**

"That girl is really starting to annoy me" Hephaestus said

**I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was.**

**He said, "Who?"**

**But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.**

"**Satyr," Dionysus said "terrible liars."**

**"Not funny, man," I told him. "This is serious."**

**Thunder boomed overhead.**

**I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved.**

**I went over to him.**

**He looked up, a little distracted. "Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson."**

"Now," said Artemis "there's someone who can lie."

**I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it.**

**"Sir," I said, "where's Mrs. Dodds?"**

**He stared at me blankly. "Who?"**

**"The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher."**

**He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned. "Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?"**

"No one knows the answer to that question" said Grover with a smile.

"Well," said Zeus "who would like to read next?"

"I will" said Annabeth. Percy handed her the book and put his arm around her.

The gods expression was priceless.

* * *

><p><strong>How was it? Did you like it? Do you want me to bring in more characters?<strong>

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

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	2. Three Old Ladys Knit the Socks of Death

**Chapter 2**

_(I had a bit of trouble writing this scene. V. hope you like it)_

All the gods stared at the two demi-gods in confusion.

"Umm… what's going on here?" Athena asked the two half-bloods

"Well me and Annabeth are sorta…like…you know…" said Percy drawing out the words

"Get to the point Percy!" said Annabeth

"Weregoingout!" said Percy as fast as he could

"You're what?" wondered Poseidon.

In the background of all the commotion Aphrodite squealed "Isn't it obvious!" she said "There going out!" she said as she clapped her hands together "Its forbidden love!"

Athena stood up "I will not stand for this! I will not have my daughter date a son of that kelp head!" she said in frustration

"Hey!" protested Poseidon "your daughter is lucky to be dating my son!"

A couple of 'mom/dad' s were heard from Percy and Annabeth

"Cant you see there in love?" said Aphrodite "just let them be!"

"Well," Poseidon spoke up "If my son is happy, I'm Happy."

"Thank you dad" Percy said

"Well I guess it's alright but I'm still not pleased" said Athena

"Thank you mom" Annabeth said

"Enough of this mushy stuff." Said Ares

"Yeah, let's get back to the book." Said Hermes

"Aright, alright." Said Zeus as he waved at Annabeth to read.

"**Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death,"** Annabeth read.

"Your books have a lot of weird titles" said Apollo

**This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. **

"It's not a trick seaweed brain," said Annabeth "it's the mist."

"I know that now." He replayed

**The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip—had been our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.**

**Every so often I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.**

"You are." Said Nico with a small laugh

**It got so I almost believed them—Mrs. Dodds had never existed.**

**Almost.**

**But Grover couldn't fool me.**

"You're a terrible liar goat boy" said Thalia

**When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, and then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.**

**Something was going on. Something **_**had **_**happened at the museum.**

"No really?" said Dionysus

**I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Mrs. Dodds with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.**

"Wimp." Guess who said that

**The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room. **

Poseidon gave Zeus a look, and he just shrugged

**A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley touched down only fifty miles from Yancy Academy. **

Everyone was looking at Zeus now

**One of the current events we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that had gone down in sudden squalls in the Atlantic that year.**

**I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. My grades slipped from Ds to Fs.**

"How can you Ds in the first place?" wondered Athena "oh wait," she said "your kelp heads son"

"Hey, I'm bright" he protested "… when it comes to fighting and stuff like that."

The gods laughed

**I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.**

**Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot. **

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Do you even know what that means?" asked Hera

Percy shook his head

**I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.**

**The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.**

**Fine, I told myself. Just fine.**

**I was homesick.**

"Aww," said Aphrofite

**I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.**

Posiedon gripped the edge of his throne

**And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view** **of the woods outside my dorm window, the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees. I'd miss Grover, who'd been a good friend,**

"Aww thanks man" said Grover with a smile

"Well you're a great friend" he said

**Even if he was a little strange.**

That wiped the smile off his face

**I worried how he'd survive next year without me. **

The goddesses coded

**I'd miss Latin class, too—Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well.**

**As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for.**

"I'm sure Chiron would love to know that" said Artemis

"*GASP*" said Hermes "PERCY! You studied for a test?"

"Only Latin Hermes," he reassured the god "no worries, I won't make a habit out of it."

"You should" protested Athena

**I hadn't forgotten what Mr. Brunner had told me about this subject being life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd started to believe him.**

**The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the **_**Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology **_**across my dorm room. **

Annabeth and Athena gasped "how could you treat a book that way?" his girlfriend asked

**Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards.**

All the demi-gods nodded there head. They all went through the same experience

**There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon, **

Everyone started laughing. "How could you not know the difference?" asked Hades "one is half horse and the other is extremely annoying, always asking for a pay raise and-" he was cut off

"I meant the spelling, it easy to do it verbally but spelling and stuff is harder." Said Percy defending himself

**Or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it.**

**I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt.**

Aphrodite shivered at the thought

**I remembered Mr. Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. **_**I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson.**_

**I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book.**

"That's better" said Athena

**I'd never asked a teacher for help before. **

"Boys," said Artemis "always think they can do anything."

**Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. At least I could apologize for the big fat F I was about to score on his exam. I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.**

"I'm sure he'd like to now that" said Hera

**I walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.**

**I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said,**

_**"...**_ **worried about Percy, sir."**

**I froze.**

**I'm not usually an eavesdropper,**

"Yeah right" said Dionysus "all demi-gods are trouble-makers"

**But I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult.**

Thalia and Nico nodded. It was a big temptation.

**"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the **_**school**_**! Now that we know for sure, and **_**they **_**know too—"**

**"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more."**

"A lot more." Said Nico

**"But he may not have time. The summer solstice dead line—"**

"What about the dead line?" asked Hestia

"I'm guessing will find out in the book." Replayed Hephaestus

**"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."**

**"Sir, he **_**saw **_**her..."**

**"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."**

**"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. **

Thalia patted Grover's back "you did a great job. You were the best satyr ever."

"I agree with that" said Percy

"Awww, thanks guys." Said grover

**"You know what that would mean."**

**"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"**

**The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.**

"Never give away you position" said Hermes "I'm disappointed" he said as he shock his head

**Mr. Brunner went silent.**

**My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall.**

"At least you left no evidence behind"

**A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.**

"Chiron should not have been out of his form" said Hera

**I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.**

**A few seconds later I heard a slow **_**clop-clop-clop, **_**like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, and then moved on.**

**A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.**

**Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."**

**"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."**

**"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."**

**"Don't remind me."**

"I hate haven't to re-take so many grades!" said Grover

**The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office.**

**I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever.**

**Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm.**

**Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night.**

**"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?"**

**I didn't answer.**

**"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?"**

**"Just... tired."**

**I turned so he couldn't read my expression, **

"Nice try but satyrs can read emotions." Guess who said that

"I was twelve!" Percy reminded his girlfriend

**and started getting ready for bed.**

**I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing.**

**But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger.**

"You were" Poseidon reminded him

**The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam, my eyes swimming with all the Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled, Mr. Brunner called me back inside.**

**For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.**

**"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best."**

**His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.**

"I think someone's got a crush." Said Aphrodite

Percy shivered at the thought.

**I mumbled, "Okay, sir."**

**"I mean ..." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."**

**My eyes stung.**

"Wimp" said Ares

Just then, he was hit with half of the Pacific Ocean. The demi-gods looked at Percy

"Don't look at me" said Percy eyeing his father, Poseidon shrugged.

**Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.**

**"Right," I said, trembling.**

**"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be—"**

**"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."**

"He probably could have put that in a nicer way." Said Artemis

**"Percy—"**

**But I was already gone.**

**On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase.**

**The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were **_**rich **_**juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.**

"Ummm, Percy," said Annabeth "I don't think this is a family of nobodies" she said

"I didn't know" Percy said trying to defend himself

**They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city.**

**What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.**

**"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."**

**They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.**

"Boys" murmured Artemis

**The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to, was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had,**

"What a coincidence" said Hermes

**So there we were, together again, heading into the city.**

**During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy, as if he expected something bad to happen.**

"Nothing good comes from being a half-blood" Said Hera "so what the point of having them?" she thought to herself

**Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound.**

**Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.**

**I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"**

"You scared me soo much when you said that." Exclaimed Grover

"Don't scare a satyr like that son" said Poseidon

**Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"**

**I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.**

**Grover's eye twitched. "How much **_**did **_**you hear?"**

"Not much" said Nico "just the whole conversation."

**"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"**

**He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers …"**

**"Grover—"**

**"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."**

"Grover," said Apollo "you're a terrible liar"

**"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."**

Everyone laughed

"Apollo thinks like a satyr now" said Artemis

"Im still awesomer" Apollo defended

"Awesomer isn't a word" said Annabeth

"Just read Annabeth" said Percy

**His ears turned pink.**

**From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer.**

**The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out something like:**

_**Grover Underwood**_

_**Keeper**_

_**Half-Blood Hill**_

_**Long Island, New York**_

_**(800)**_ _**009-0009**_

"Who gave you that card" asked Athena

"Mr. D gave it to me" grover said

"Why would u do that?" asked Hades "they can't read that"

"I know" Dionysius said "it's funny"

**"What's Half—"**

**"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um ... summer address."**

**My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy.**

"And why not?" asked Grover

"Because you weren't all snobby and rude like the other kids." Defended Percy

**"Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."**

**He nodded. "Or...or if you need me."**

**"Why would I need you?"**

"Don't say that" said Demeter "you need more cereal."

"Yes," said Thalia "you should give him a few bowls"

Before Percy could protest Demeter waved her hand a bowl of fruit loops appeared in front of him "now eat it" said Demeter

"At least its fruit loops" murmured Percy

**It came out harsher than I meant it to.**

**Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you."**

**I stared at him.**

**All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up next year without me.**

"You lost sleep over me?" asked grover

"Yea, I was worried for you G-man." Said Percy as a few of the goddesses 'awed

**And here he was acting like he was the one who defended **_**me.**_

**"Grover," I said, "What exactly are you protecting me from?"**

"Blood trusty monsters who want to kill you." Said Ares "so nothing much"

**There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs.**

"Gross" cried Aphrodite

**The driver cursed and steered the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.**

**After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everybody else.**

**We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there. On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. **

Grover signed "people should really respect the environment more, it was disgusting"

**On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat was an old-fashioned fruit stand.**

**The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice**_**. **_**There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.**

The Olympians –besides Apollo and Hermes- gasped

"Oh no. no no no no!" said Poseidon

**I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn.**

Percy and Annabeth understood now. They were showing him Luke's death not Percy's. Annabeth rested her head on Percy's shoulder and her voice almost cracked as she read.

**All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.**

"The fates!" screamed Hermes and Apollo as they just understood what happened

**The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me.**

Poseidon look like it was him who was about to die

**I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from his face. His nose was twitching.**

**"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man—"**

**"Tell me they're not looking at you. They are, aren't they?"**

**"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"**

"Not funny Percy" said Poseidon and Thalia "not funny at all"

**"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all."**

**The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.**

**"We're getting on the bus," he told me. "Come on."**

**"What?" I said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."**

**"Come on!'" He pried open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back.**

"Why didn't you follow?" asked Athena and the murmured something about being kelp heads son.

**Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I swear I could hear that **_**snip **_**across four lanes of traffic.**

Everyone caught their breath

**Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for—Sasquatch or Godzilla.**

**At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.**

**The passengers cheered.**

**"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"**

**Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu.**

"Oh no." said Thalia

"How are you still alive?" asked Zeus

**Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.**

**"Grover?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"What are you not telling me?"**

"A lot" said Hades

**He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"**

**"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are they?"**

"No, there a lot worse" said Nico

**His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds. He said, "Just tell me what you saw."**

**"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."**

**He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.**

**He said, "You saw her snip the cord."**

**"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.**

**"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this to be like the last time."**

Thalia pated Grover's back

**"What last time?"**

**"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."**

**"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"**

**"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."**

**This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.**

"That was some promise you kept." He said

"Sorry man. You were freaking me out." Said Percy

**"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.**

**No answer.**

**"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"**

**Again everyone shivered.**

**He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.**

"That's the end of the chapter" said Annabeth "who wants to read next"

"I will" said Thalia

Annabeth handed her the book

**Hope you liked. Sorry it took so long to update! I'll bring in more characters throughout the next few chapters. Vote on the poll on my profile to decide who comes in next! **

**Review! Review! Review!**

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	3. Grover Unexpentingly Loses His Pants

**Heyy guys! Plz check out my _'One Hunter To The Others'_ story!**

**DISCLAMER: **

**ME: I OWN PJO**

**ME: *get book thrown at me* OW**

**ME: OK OK I DONT OWN PJO**

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><p>"<strong>Grover Unexpectedly Loses his Pants" <strong>Thalia read

Everyone looked at grover expectantly, but he just shrugged

**Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.**

Poseiden sighed "son…"

"I know dad" said Percy "but he was freaking me out"

**I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to the sixth grade?"**

"its because our scent grows stronger as we get older," said Annabeth

"and its even worse for a child of the big three" finished Athena

**Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom.**

"REALLY?" questioned Thalia

"Sorry, I thought he would have waited." Said grover

**Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.**

**"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.**

**A word about my mother, before you ****meet****her.**

"She's awesome!" Annabeth said and most of the demi-gods who met her agree with her.

Poseidon smiled at the thought of Sally.

**Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck.**

"Her luck can't be that bad." Said Ares

"Just wait." Said Percy

**Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no ****diploma****.**

Everyone was frowning at that; okay, so maybe Percy had a point about the rottenest luck thing.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Aphrodite "ill make sure she finds a nice man in her life."

_Too late_ thought Percy. He was really found of Paul

**The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.**

Poseidon looked down, he missed Sally so much

**I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile.**

"I did visite you once." Said Poseidon

**My mom doesn't like to talk about him because **_**it **_**makes her sad. She has no pictures.**

**See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.**

**Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.**

"Not a lie, but not the truth." Said Artemis "he would be at sea, just not lost."

**She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.**

All the demi-gods agreed

"heey!" said Percy "im _not_ that bad!"

**Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him,**

Poseidon griped his trident so hard, his knuckles started to turn white

"And that's being generous," Percy grumbled.

**then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nick named him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.**

"Ewwwwwwww!" Coursed the goddesses

**Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along ... well, when I came home is a good example.**

**I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.**

"Men are such pigs." Said Demeter "they should eat more cereal"

Thalia contunied before she could start her rant about cereal

**Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."**

**"Where's my mom?"**

**"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"**

"He asked you for money?" said Hera disgusted "that is not how to make a perfect family." She sighed

"it wasn't the first time" said percy

**That was it. No **_**Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?**_

**Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.**

"Ew!" all the girls said to this**.**

**He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "guy secret." Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.**

"WHAT?" coursed the kids and Poseidon

"he didn't actually touch u did he?" asked the sea god

"no" said percy

**"I don't have any cash," I told him.**

**He raised a greasy eyebrow.**

**Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.**

Grover snorted at that; it was truer than Percy had realized at the time.

**"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"**

**Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."**

"at least one has SOME dignity" said Hesita

**"Am I **_**right**_**?**_**" **_**Gabe repeated.**

**Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.**

"Never mind"

**"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose."**

**"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"**

**I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. **

"That dosent make any sense" said Hephaestus

"if you would let me continue," said Thalia "it would"

**During school months, it was Gabe's "study." **

"oh"

**He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.**

"Disgusting," several people said winkling their nose.

"Tell me about it," Percy agreed.

**I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.**

**Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds,**

"Wow... it was that bad!" Nico exclaimed.

**or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.**

**But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic—how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. **

"Some promise that was" mumbled Grover

**A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.**

**Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"**

**She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.**

**My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room.**

"Aw..." several people teased

"Mama's boy" Said Ares

"Yes I am" said Percy proudly

**Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad.**

"that's hard" said Nico

"yea your full of bad things" said Thalia

"I really hate my cousins" said Percy

**I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.**

**"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"**

**Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.**

Apollo's and Hermes mouth watered "could you get us some?"

"Sorry" said Percy "she doesn't work there anymore"

**We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right?**

**I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.**

"Aw..." Annabeth said

**From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"**

**I gritted my teeth.**

Much like he was doing at this moment, and he wasn't the only one that was annoyed with Gabe.

**My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.**

"Even though Paul's no millionaire," Annabeth said. "I think shes happy."

"Who's Paul?" asked Poseidon

"Yes" squealed Aphrodite "who Paul?"

"You'll find out later in the books" said Percy

**For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself.**

Several people rolled their eyes at that statement.

**I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.**

**Until that trip to the museum ...**

**"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"**

**"No, Mom."**

"Don't lie to your mother" Said Hera

**I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.**

"No, it would have made sense to her," Annabeth said.

**She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.**

**"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."**

**My eyes widened. "Montauk?"**

Poseidons eyes widened. That was the best summer ever

**"Three nights—same cabin."**

**"When?"**

**She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."**

**I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.**

**Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"**

Poseidon gritted his teeth

**I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.**

**"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."**

**Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"**

**"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."**

**"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your step father is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."**

**Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"**

"WHAT?" shouted Aphrodite "you cant put a price on clothes!"

**"Yes, honey," my mother said.**

**"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."**

At this however, Percy smiled and then started to laugh.

"I take it that the car doesn't make it, then?" Hermes chuckled. Percy nodded, remembering the night.

**"We'll be very careful."**

**Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip ... And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."**

"Interrupting his game?" said Artemis "I should turn him into a jacklope.

"no need" smiled Percy and everyone looked at him questionly

**Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.**

"Do it!" Ares said "we need acion"

**But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad.**

**Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?**

**"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."**

**Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.**

Everyone laughed at this

"did you?" asked Hades

"Sadly, no"

**"Yeah, whatever," he decided.**

**He went back to his game.**

**"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about... whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"**

"Did she know what happened?" Nico asked.

"More than I thought she did," Percy shrugged.

**For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.**

**But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.**

**An hour later we were ready to leave.**

**Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend.**

**"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."**

At this Percy laughed

"Like you'd be the one driving" said Athena

**Like I'd be the one driving.**

Everyone burst out laughing

"Athena thinks like Percy now!" Said Apollo

Just then he got attacked by a flock of owls

**I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.**

**Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the stair case as if he'd been shot from a cannon.**

All the gods and demi-gods mouths were open

_How'd he do that_ they thought

**Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.**

"Um... what did happen there?" Percy asked. But no one answered him.

**I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.**

**Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets,**

Annabeth and Athena sheiverd

**and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.**

"I didn't know that the water ever bothered you!" Annabeth said. Percy looked thoughtful at that; he wouldn't have said that it bothered him...

**I loved the place.**

"You love a place with spiders in the cabinets," Annabeth said shivering again.

"Yeah," Percy shrugged. "I don't suppose you want to go there with me."

Annabeth glared at him as he chuckled.

**We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad.**

**As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.**

**We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.**

"Whats wth the blue food?" asked Zues

"if you would let me finish…" said thalia

**I guess I should explain the blue food.**

**See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This—along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano—was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.**

Poseidon smiled, it was one of the things he loved most about Sally

**When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.**

**Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk—my father. Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.**

Percy and Poseidon smiled

"I loved hearing those stories" Percy said

**"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."**

**Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."**

"I am proud" said poseion gleaming towards his son

"thanks dad"

**I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.**

**"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean ... when he left?"**

**She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."**

**"But... he knew me as a baby."**

**"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."**

The Olympians looked down, they didn't want to leave their children at such a young age. But _someone_ made certain rules. So it became impossible

**I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember ... something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.**

**I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me...**

**I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.**

Poseidon siged, he didn't like leaving them at all

"And it's not like he can marry your mom anyways... he already has a wife," Annabeth said.

"Yeah, but it seems like all the gods are married and they still have tones of children," Thalia said. "It makes it rather awkward when you meet their wife."

"Tell me about it," Percy and Nico said making a face.

Poseidon looked over "You've meet my…wife?" he asked

"ummm… sorta." He said

**"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"**

**She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.**

**"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think ... I think we'll have to do something."**

**"Because you don't want me around?"**

"Don't say that to your mother" said hera "she loves you"

"Men." Scoffed Artemis

**I regretted the words as soon as they were out.**

"Good"

**My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—I **_**have **_**to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."**

**Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave Yancy.**

**"Because I'm not normal," I said.**

**"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."**

**"Safe from what?"**

"Oh nothing," said Nico

"Just Hades blood thirsty monsters" said Apollo

"And a few demons from the underworld" finished Hermes

**She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.**

**During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.**

"You sent a Cyclopes to Percy?" wondered Demeter

"Probaly to keep an eye on him" he said

"Your dad really loves you" whispered Annabeth

"yes he does" Percy replied as he gave her a kiss on the check

**Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.**

"Like Hercules" said Ares impressed

**In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.**

**I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword. But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.**

"You put both your lives in danger so it wouldn't end your trip?" Asked Thalia

**"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And I just... I just can't stand to do it."**

"that's how most of them get killed" said Dionysius "to bad here arnt more like that" he murmured

**"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"**

**"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."**

**My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born— talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?**

**"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."**

**"For good? But if it's only a summer camp ..."**

**She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.**

"its not fair" said Zeus "when women use their tears against you"

**That night I had a vivid dream.**

**It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf.**

"Some action final" guess who said that

**The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.**

All the gods looked at Hades who shurged

**I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion. I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, **_**No!**_

"HA! I won!" said Zeus

**I woke with a start.**

**Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.**

**With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."**

**I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten. **

"Gosh, Uncle P. how could you have forgotten?" said Apollo

**Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.**

**Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.**

**My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.**

**Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't... he wasn't exactly Grover.**

"What was he then?" asked Demeter

**"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"**

**My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.**

**"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"**

"A lot" said Nico

**I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.**

_**"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" **_**he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you **_**tell **_**her?"**

**I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—**

"Grover... how could you not have your pants on!" Nico exclaimed and then chuckled.

Everyone else just rolled their eyes.

**and where his legs should be ... where his legs should be ...**

"What?" said Hermes "Would you just tell us?"

**My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: **_**"Percy. **_**Tell me **_**now**_**!"**

**I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.**

**She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. **_**Go**_**!**_**"**_

**Grover ran for the Camaro—but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.**

**Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.**

"That's the end of the chapter" said Thalia "Who wants to read next?" she asked

But before anyone could answer, there was a knock on the door and it slowly opened to revile…

* * *

><p><strong>HAHAHAHAHA Cliffy! Sorry I couldn't resite. Lol don't hurt me. Anyway I need to ask you, will you plz check out my '<strong>_**One Hunter To The Others**_**' story? PLZZZZ! I really need some fee back. **

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**VVVVVV**

**VVVV**

**VV**

**V**


	4. Revealing

**ME: Percy? Will u do the disclaimer? **

**PERCY: Urg! Why?**

**ME: Do the disclaimer!**

**PERCY: no**

**ME: DO IT OR ILL MAKE ANNABETH BREAK UP WITH YOU IN THIS STORY!**

**PERCY: OK! *sigh* HockeyGal09 does not own PJO!**

**ME: shanks you ^_^**

**Chapter 4**

**MYSTERIOUS PERSON 1 P.O.V**

I was sitting in my cabin crying. I can't believe she sacrificed herself for us! And as soon as we got here he had to leave for his stupid quest! I was just about to go and see Chiron for some cheering up but I was engulfed in a bright light.

**MYSTERIOUS PERSON 2 P.O.V**

I was in my cabin arm wrestling of one my siblings; I was just about to force his hand onto the table when a bright light surrounded me

**MYSTERIOUS PERSON 3 P.O.V**

Me and my brother where just about to pull off the ultimate prank! We had the honey, the feathers, the paint and the rope. Now all we had to do is set it up. But before we even got the chance, me and my brother were wrapped in a bright light.

**MYSTERIOUS PERSON 5 P.O.V**

I was walking around camp looking for those two. I know there up to something! There they are… what do they have in their hands? Just before I could get a better look, I was surrounded by a bright light.

**MYSTERIOUS PERSON 6 P.O.V**

I was sitting on my bed playing with my hair watching my siblings' talk about who the next big couple should be. Then I disappeared in a bright light.

**MYSTERIOUS PERSON 7 P.O.V**

Just a few more pieces, I was just fixed my automaton. I sure hope dad would be proud with my work. It was sure getting hot in here though. Just before I could go grab a drink I was wrapped in a bright light.

**(A/N: Does anyone know who the mysterious people are yet?)**

**MYSTERIOUS PERSON 1 P.O.V**

Just then I landed on the ground with a thud. I looked around and saw a few of my friends there too. **(A/N: im not saying who ^_^) **I looked at my surroundings and relied, we were at Olympus. How do I know were at Olympus? Well I've never been before but I've seen a few pictures and all the statues of gods kinda gave it away.

I was jerked out of my thoughts by my friends.

"What are we doing here?" asked one.

"How'd did we get here?" asked another.

"We were just in the middle of a prank!" claimed the son of Hermes.

"And who were you going to play that prank on?" asked an angry little girl.

"GUYS!" I shouted "were on Olympus!" I declared.

"We see that" they declared.

"Well then," I said "maybe the gods summoned us. Let's go to the throne room."

"Alright but if we get vaporized, it's your fault."

"I can live with that" I said as I knocked on the door and slowly opened it…

**NO ONE'S P.O.V**

_The door slowly opened to revile…_

A bunch of kids? There was about 7 of them, and they all looked about the age of seven. The first girl was beautiful, she had blond hair and stunning gray eyes. The second one was another girl, this time she had stringy brown hair and brown eyes, and she looked pretty strong for a seven year old. Beside her were two guys, guessing their twins because they both have curly brown hair and blue eyes. The next girl was scolding one of the boys, she had black hair and green eyes **(A/N: I don't know if she actually looks like this but this is how I picture her). **The last girl was beyond beautiful; she had black hair and amazing blue eyes. She was talking with the last boy; he had black hair and brown eyes.

"WHO GOES THERE?" bellowed Zeus.

The blond girl slowly stepped forward. "I am Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena." She said as she bowed to her mother. At this Annabeth looked over, shocked.

The next girl stepped up. "Im Clarisse LaRue, daughter of Ares." She said kneeling at her father's feet.

The twins bowed to Hermes. "We are Travis and Connor Stoll, the amazing pranksters and sons of Hermes." They said with smiles

The next girl sighed at the twin and stepped forward. "I am Katie Gardner, daughter of Demeter." She said with pride.

The final girl stepped forward "I am Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite." She said as she knelt at her mother's feet. At this, the demi-gods looked down.

The very last kid stepped up "Im Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus." He said as he bowed at his father's throne. The demi-gods looked down again.

Just then Annabeth stood up "oh my gods! Im so cute!" she said and everyone burst out laughing. The kids looked around.

"Umm, Zeus…?" said Silena.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Why are we here?"

"well we are in the midst about reading about a future demi-gods and his future."

"Well why are we here?" asked Travis.

"Because you guys play very important roles in these stories." Said Thalia.

They all looked shocked, "We do?" asked Clarisse "But how?"

"Well maybe if we read we'll find out!" said Apollo

"But first shouldn't the future demi-gods introduce themselves first?" wondered Artemis.

"Yes they should" said Zeus "future demi-gods, introduce yourselves!"

Future Annabeth stepped forward "I am future Annabeth Chase" she said smiling at her younger self. Most of the younger demi-gods looked between the two Annabeths, to figure out… they were exactly the same.

Then, Thaila stepped forward, "I am future Thalia Grace." She said looking over at younger Annabeth. She smiled and ran up and hugged her with tears pouring from her eyes. "How is this possible?" shw asked "You a tree!"

"Yes but my friend over here," she pointed at Percy "Saved me."

Younger Annabeth looked over at Percy with big eyes , she ran over and hugged him too "thank you so mch for saving her!" she cried.

Percy looked taken aback. But he blushed and said "don't give me all the credit. You helped too!" he said

Nico looked over "Yes! You two become quite the team." He said and burst into laughter. She shrugged, smiled and went to stand with her friends.

Grover laughed and came forward "Im Grover Underwood, Satyr." He said and smiled and Annabeth.

"Im Nico DiAngelo" said Nico coming forward.

And last but not least… "I am Percy Jackson, Savior of Olympus, defeater of Kronos and amazing, fabulous, extraordinary boyfriend of An…" He was cut off by Annabeth hitting him in the gut. "What was that for?" he asked.

"For that really long unnecessary introduction," She said "and I would rather I find out who my boyfriend will be when its time!" she added in a whisper.

"Fine…" Percy grumbled.

"Ok," said Thalia "who wants to read next?" she asked.

"Ooo! I will!" said Apollo.

Gasps were heard all around the room.

"You want to read?" Asked Artemis shocked.

"Yes I do!" said Apollo proudly.

"Ok then" said Thalia handing the book over to Apollo.

"Alright the next chapter is called…"

**There we go everyone! The next chapter will be them reading the book! I just wanted to get this out there so you could all see who was revealed! Anyways, I'll try updating sooner but, im sorry. Im a procrastinator and I'll admit it! So if I don't update in a while it's not because im done with the story! Its cause I haven't found time or im busy (same thing I guess…) but anyways I hope u enjoyed it! **

**P.S: I know that most of the characters like the Stolls, Clarisse, etc… weren't in the story when they were seven but I needed to put them in sooo… ya!**

**And please check out my story "One hunter to the others" I really need some reviews! **

**AND! Vote on the poll on my profile to vote for who comes in next! THX!**

**-HockeyGal09**


	5. My Mother Teaches me Bullfighting

I know I haven't updated in a long time! But I recently got my wisdom teeth out and I had 3 big school projects before Christmas break.

_So recap… last chapter The Stolls, Clarisse, Katie, Silena, Charlie and Annabeth entered out story after the last chapter._

Just to let you know, when I introduce a new character from the past that also has a character in the future in the story. I will put 'lil' in front of the person's name to make it easier. 

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><p>"<strong>My Mother Teaches me Bullfighting" <strong>Apollo read.

"Your mom's a bullfighter?" asked Connor.

"No she isn't…" said Percy.

Poseidon sighed. _What's going to happen now? _He thought.

**We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the wind shield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas.**

"It's like those times in the movies where everyone's in complete danger!" said Hermes.

"That's because they are!" screamed everyone else.

**Every time there was a flash of lightning, I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I'd gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants.**

"Blaa-ah! It's my fur!" said Grover.

"Sorry," said Percy "I didn't know."

**But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo— lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.**

**All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom... know each other?"**

**Graver's eyes flitted to the rear-view mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."**

**"Watching me?"**

**"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily. "I **_**am**_**your friend."**

**"Urn ... what**_**are**_**you, exactly?"**

**"That doesn't matter right now."**

**"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey—"**

The room erupted with laughter.

"He's a goat Seaweed Brain!" said Annabeth

"I know that now Wise Girl."

**Grover let out a sharp, throaty**_**"Blaa-ha-ha!"**_

**I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat.**

**"Goat!" he cried.**

**"What?"**

**"I'm a**_**goat**_**from the waist down."**

**"You just said it didn't matter."**

_**"Blaa-ha-ha!**_ **There are satyrs who would trample you under hoof for such an insult!"**

**"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like ... Mr. Brunner's myths?"**

"They are not myth's Peter Johnson." said Dionysius.

"Percy Jackson!" Poseidon corrected.

"Yeah, whatever." He said.

**"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a**_**myth,**_**Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"**

**"So you**_**admit**_**there was a Mrs. Dodds!"**

**"Of course."**

**"Then why—"**

**"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."**

Athena sighed "I can't believe you still let the mist affect you after that Kindly one attacked you!" she said.

**"Who I—wait a minute, what do you mean?"**

**The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.**

**"Percy," my mom said, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety."**

"NO! We do not need any more brats!" said Dionysius

**"Safety from what? Who's after me?"**

**"Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."**

"Why are you after my son?" asked Poseidon.

"How should I know? This is the future!" countered Hades.

**"Grover!"**

**"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"**

**I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird.**

"Well you are pretty weird…" said Thaila.

"Very!" agreed Nico.

"Don't I have nice cousins?" asked Percy.

"The best!" said Thalia and Nico.

**My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.**

**"Where are we going?" I asked.**

**"The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."**

**"The place you didn't want me to go."**

**"Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."**

**"Because some old ladies cut yarn."**

"It's more than just that!" lil Annabeth said.

"How are you still alive?" wondered Athena.

**"Those weren't old ladies," Grover said. "Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means—the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to ... when someone's about to die."**

**"Whoa. You said 'you.'"**

"Nice going goat boy" said Clarisse.

"I was nervous!" Grover defended.

**"No I didn't. I said 'someone.'"**

**"You meant 'you.' As in**_**me.**_**"**

**"I meant**_**you,**_**like 'someone.' Not you,**_**you.**_**"**

"Guys, was that really the time for that?" Artemis asked. She sighed "boys…"

**"Boys!" my mom said.**

**She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.**

**"What was that?" I asked.**

"Oh nothing just a creature from the underworld who's trying to kill you." said Katie.

**"We're almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question.**

**"Another mile. Please. Please. Please."**

**I didn't know where**_**there**_**was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive.**

As was everyone else in the room.

**Outside, nothing but rain and darkness—the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into the thing with pointed teeth and leathery wings. My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really**_**hadn't**_**been human. She'd meant to kill me.**

"Well duh Seaweed Brain." Said Annabeth.

"I didn't know at the time!" said Percy as he playfully pushed her. She punched him back but ended up hurting her hand instead.

**Then I thought about Mr. Brunner ... and the sword he had thrown me. Before I could ask Grover about that, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling**_**boom!**_**and our car exploded.**

Poseidon was on the edge of his seat, as were the demi-gods.

**I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time.**

**I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."**

**"Percy!" my mom shouted.**

**"I'm okay..."**

**I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. The car hadn't really exploded. We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and rain was pouring in.**

**Lightning. **

Poseidon stood up in rage. "How could you?"

Before Zeus could answer, Percy interrupted "Dad! Im fine! Im ok and alive!" he said.

Poseidon calmed down and sat back down in his throne.

"Poseidon stop over-reacting!" Said Athena "Your son is alive and well, so stop making a big deal over everything dangerous that happens!" she screamed.

Before Poseidon could replay Thaila looked over at Apollo. "_READ!_" she commanded.

**That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"**

**He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!**

"Awwww" the goddesses coded.

"Thanks man." Said Grover.

"No prob G-Man."

**Then he groaned "Food," and I knew there was hope.**

Dionysius sighed, _worthless satyrs_ he thought.

**"Percy," my mother said, "we have to ..." Her voice faltered.**

**I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road. The sight of it made my skin crawl. It was a dark silhouette of a huge guy, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns.**

Lil Annabeth looked shocked "Is that…?" her voice faltered.

**I swallowed hard. "Who is—?"**

**"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."**

**My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking.**

**"Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"**

Zeus sighed, _Thalia. _He thought_. At least I know she will be saved in the future._

_**"What?"**_

**Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill.**

"Oh my gods Thalia!" screamed Travis. "That's you!" he said pointing at the book.

**"That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."**

"How does she know all this?" asked Hera.

"I told her all this because I knew that Percy would have a hard time and when he found out, she would need to know about the camp." said Poseidon.

"Well maybe you're not all that stupid." said Athena.

Everyone looked at her.

"What, it was actually quite smart."

**"Mom, you're coming too."**

"She can't cross the border!" lil Annabeth pointed out.

**Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.**

**"No!" I shouted. "You **_**are **_**coming with me. Help me carry Grover."**

**"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.**

**The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized he**_**couldn't**_**be holding a blanket over his head, because his hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head ... was his head. And the points that looked like horns …**

Poseidon gripped his trident so hard his knuckles turned white.

**"He doesn't want **_**us**_**," my mother told me. "He wants **_**you.**_**Besides, I can't cross the property line."**

"She is very smart." Said Hestia.

**"But..."**

**"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."**

**I got mad, then—mad at my mother, at Grover the goat, at the thing with horns that was lumbering toward us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull.**

"That's because it is a bull Kelp for Brains." Said Thalia.

"Shut it Pinecone Face." He replayed.

**I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together. Come on, Mom."**

**"I told you—"**

**"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover**."

The goddesses coded. "Now THAT'S a good son." Said Hera as she looked over at Ares, Apollo and Hermes.

**I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.**

**Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through wet waist-high grass.**

**Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of**_**Muscle Man**_**magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes except under wear—I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms—which would've looked funny, except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.**

**His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.**

**I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us. But he couldn't be real.**

**I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's—"**

**"Pasiphae's son," my mother said.**

**"I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."**

**"But he's the Min—"**

**"Don't say his name," she warned. "Names have power."**

"VERY smart," agreed Artemis.

**The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.**

**I glanced behind me again.**

**The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows—or not looking, exactly. More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.**

**"Food?" Grover moaned.**

**"Shhh," I told him. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"**

**"His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."**

**As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.**

_**Not a scratch,**_**I remembered Gabe saying.**

"Oops" said lil Annabeth.

Apollo grinded as he read the next line.

**Oops.**

"Great, you're already affecting me." Said Annabeth.

"What can I say?" Percy defended "I've got that charm." He said as he put his arm around Annabeth.

"Yea 'cause he needs a bigger ego." Said Nico.

"Oh quite Death Breath."

Lil Annabeth looked over at Percy and Annabeth with a confused look on her face. "Ummm…" she said.

Percy quickly removed his arm from around Annabeth as they both blushed.

Annabeth waved her hand at Apollo to make him continue.

**"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way— directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?"**

**"How do you know all this?"**

**"I've been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me."**

**"Keeping me near you? But—"**

**Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.**

**He'd smelled us.**

**The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter.**

**The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us.**

**My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."**

**I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat.**

**He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.**

**The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt, but that wouldn't work. I could never outrun this thing.**

**So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side.**

Everyone so too caught up in the moment that they couldn't say anything.

**The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but not toward me this time, toward my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass.**

**We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother had said and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We'd never make it.**

**The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.**

**"Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any farther. Run!"**

**But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her. She tried to sidestep, as she'd told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.**

"NO!" Poseidon screamed.

**"Mom!"**

**She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"**

**Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply ... gone.**

The demi-gods from the future gasped.

"But your mom's still alive!" said Thalia.

"Yea, we saw her last week." Added Nico.

"Just keep reading." Percy told them.

**"No!"**

**Anger replaced my fear. Newfound strength burned in my limbs—the same rush of energy I'd gotten when Mrs. Dodds grew talons.**

**The bull-man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too.**

**I couldn't allow that.**

"Thanks man."

**I stripped off my red rain jacket.**

**"Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground beef!"**

"Not the best insult." Said Ares "But it's a start."

**"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward me, shaking his meaty fists.**

**I had an idea—a stupid idea, but better than no idea at all.**

**I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last moment.**

**But it didn't happen like that.**

**The bull-man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge.**

**Time slowed down.**

**My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair, and landing on his neck.**

Everyone's mouths were agape.

"How…?" they asked.

**How did I do that?**

**I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.**

**The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes. The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils.**

**The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull. He should have just backed up into the tree and smashed me flat, but I was starting to realize that this thing had only one gear: forward.**

**Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth I'd bite my own tongue off.**

**"Food!" Grover moaned.**

**The bull-man wheeled toward him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high-octane fuel. I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backward with all my might. The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then—**_**snap!**_

Everyone was shocked.

"How did you do that?" asked the Stolls.

**The bull-man screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass. My head smacked against a rock. When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife.**

**The monster charged.**

**Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster barreled past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage.**

**The bull-man roared in agony. He flailed, clawing at his chest, then began to disintegrate—not like my mother, in a flash of golden light, but like crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by the wind, the same way Mrs. Dodds had burst apart.**

Demeter looked at him "A Fury AND the Minataur with NO training. But, if you eat cereal… you'll be even better!" she said.

**The monster was gone.**

**The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief I'd just seen my mother vanish. I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farm house. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.**

**The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's.**

Aphrodite beamed "it must be one of MY beautiful daughters!" she said with pride.

Annabeth pretended not to hear her "A princess? Really Percy?"

"Well you DO have nice hair." He defended.

"Wait…" said Aphrodite cluing in "it's NOT one of my daughters… but one of ATHENAS?"

Thalia looked at her "Yes it is." She said looking over at her best friend.

**They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."**

"Yes Annie!" said the Stolls. "He's the one!"

She sighed and punched their arms.

**"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."**

"And that's the end of the chapter." Said Apollo. "Is it lunch time yet?" he asked.

"Boys and their food…" said Artemis.

"Well I guess we could take a break for lunch." Said Zeus as he rose from his seat.

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><p><strong><em>Please vote on the poll on my profile for who you would like to come in next :) I'll try and update once more before break is over. But I'm not making any promises! Anyways please check out my other story '<em>From One Hunter, to the Others'. _The more reviews on that story will make me update faster. _  
><strong>

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

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	6. I Play Pinochle With A Horse

**Ok, I know what you're all thinking, "SHE'S ALIVE?! IT'S A MIRACLE!" Sorry for not updating in so long, I just, haven't had much inspiration to write this story lately. Don't worry, it's not abandoned, but I will admit updates will be slow from now on. But right now, I'm here, with a new chapter and really I hope you guys like it because I am really sorry that I haven't updated and I kinda feel really bad because I am so bad with updates.**

**But read on anyways. And don't forget to review... You know, if you want... I wouldn't blame you if you didn't since I'm such a bad updater...  
>But you know, they make me happy so... Please c:<strong>

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><p><span>Previous chapter:<span>

_"And that's the end of the chapter." Said Apollo. "Is it lunch time yet?" he asked._

_"Boys and their food…" said Artemis._

_"Well I guess we could take a break for lunch." Said Zeus as he rose from his seat._

**Chapter 3**

Everyone rose from their seats and followed the - now normal sized - Gods out of the throne room to what appeared to be a dinning hall. There was several long tables, all set with plates, silverware, napkins, and a glass each. A the back of the room there was food set up buffet style. The buffet had a large variety of foods to be served. There was pastas, meats, vegetables, even seafood. But right at the center of the room, was a large roaring fire, keeping everyone warm.

A few of the Gods smirked at the kids aw-struck look before going to then buffet and helping themselves. After the Gods had taken their food and sat down at their table of choice, the kids then began to gather their own food. Once their plates were full, they each stepped up to the fire to scrap off a portion of into the flame as they murmured thanks to the Gods.

The kids then broke off into two groups - the past and the present - as they went to sit at their tables.

_Present kids table:_

The present kids sat down and immediately began to talk about the book.

"So," began Thalia, "reading your thoughts is fun." she said with a smile.

"No," said Percy, "No it's really not."

"I just can't wait to see what he says about Annabeth," said Nico with a grin.

Percy blushed and looked down at his plate.

"What if they find out things that they shouldn't know?" asked Annabeth, ignoring Nico.

"Like what?" asked Grover, now paying attention.

"Like your Achilles heel," she said looking over at Percy.

The table's eyes grew wide and Percy let out a breath, "Do you think the Gods would have covered up all secret stuff?" he asked looking over his friends.

"They might've..." said Thalia with a slow nod of her head.

"Let's just hop they have..." trailed off Annabeth.

_Past kids table:_

Annabeth, Katie, Silena, Travis, Connor, Clarisse and Charlie sat down at their table and slowly began to eat, not sure where to begin.

"So this is interesting..." said Katie slowly, "can't wait to learn about our future." she finished with a smile.

"What if it's not a good future..." trailed off Annabeth quietly.

"Why would you say that?" asked Silena.

"You do know who that was right?" asked Clarisse in exasperation. "He said he was, and I quote, 'The savior of Olympus and defeater of Kronos', that means there is going to be a war." she explained. "You know what happens in war? _Death_."

"Maybe we're here because we play an important part in the war," suggested Beckendorf, "maybe we don't die..."

"We're too awesome to die." said Travis with a grin.

Katie rolled her eyes, "now is not the time for jokes."

"Well then I guess we'll figure it out once we finish the books." said Annabeth with a sigh.

Everyone was quiet for a moment the Beckendorf spoke up, "Looks like everyone's done. Let's go." he said as he got up and left the room. Everyone eager to continue reading.

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><p>Everyone took their seats and Apollo held out the book, "Who wants to read now?" he asked.<p>

"I will," said Poseidon, holding out his hand.

Instead of handing it to him, Apollo thought it would be a great idea to throw it across the throne room. Luckily, Poseidon was ready and caught it before it hit the ground.

No one was fazed in the slightest as Poseidon began to read,

**"I Play Pinochle With A Horse," **he began.

**"I had weird dreams full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. The rest wanted ****food.**

**I must've woken up several times, but what I heard and saw made no sense, so I just passed out again. I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn, only it was pudding. The girl with curly blond hair hovered over me, smirking as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.**

"Aw Annabeth fed you." said Nico with a smile.

Annabeth replied by punching him in the arm.

**When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"**

**I managed to croak, "What?"**

**She looked around, as if afraid someone would overhear. "What's going on? What was ****stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"**

"Wow Annabeth," said Conner, "You talk fast." he said looking at lil' Annabeth.

All she did was glare.

**"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I don't..."**

**Somebody knocked on the door, and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding.**

"That's a nice way to shut the twerp up." said Ares with a smirk.

**The next time I woke up, the girl was gone.**

"Awe," said Aphrodite with a smirk , "he misses you already."

**A husky blond dude, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom keeping watch over me.**

"Argus." Said Clarisse, "He the best person to watch over anyone."

**He had blue eyes — at least a dozen of them — on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands.**

"He has a lot more then that..." said Katie.

**When I finally came around for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings, except t****hat they were nicer than I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries. There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.**

**On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw ****and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry.**

**My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.**

**"Careful," a familiar voice said.**

**Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. Under ****one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Just plain old Grover, Not the goat boy.**

**So maybe I'd had a nightmare. Maybe my mom was okay. We were still on vacation, and ****we'd stopped here at this big house for some reason. And...**

Hestia sighed from her place by the fire, "It doesn't wok that way..."

**"You saved my life," Grover said. "I... well, the least I could do... I went back to the hill. I ****thought you might want this."**

**Reverently, he placed the shoe box in my lap.**

**Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip**

**splattered with dried blood. It hadn't been a nightmare.**

**"The Minotaur," I said.**

"It is not wise to use such powerful names," scolded Hera.

**"Urn, Percy, it isn't a good idea—"**

**"That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" I demanded. "The Minotaur. Half ****man, half bull."**

**Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you ****remember?"**

**"My mom. Is she really ..."**

**He looked down.**

"I'm still confused," said Thalia. "We saw your mom just last week." she said shaking her head.

"It'll be explained in the book," said Annabeth, she knew Percy didn't like to remember this.

**I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of ****strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight.**

**My mother was gone. The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look ****beautiful.**

**"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure. I'm—I'm the worst satyr in the world."**

"Grover you are the best satyr ever." said Percy with a smile.

"Thanks man," he said leaning over and giving Percy a one armed hug.

"No problem G-man," he said patting him on the back.

**He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The ****inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.**

**"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.**

**Thunder rolled across the clear sky. **

As it did in the throne room.

"Sorry..." murmured Grover.

**As he struggled to get his hoof back in the fake foot, I thought, Well, that settles it.**

**Grover was a satyr. I was ready to bet that if I shaved his curly brown hair, I'd find tiny horns ****on his head. But I was too miserable to care that satyrs existed, or even Minotaurs. All that meant was my mom really had been squeezed into nothingness, dissolved into yellow light.**

**I was alone. An orphan. I would have to live with ... Smelly Gabe? **

Poseidon shock his head, he couldn't interfere his sons life, but he would _never_ let that happen.

**No. That would never ****happen. I would live on the streets first. I would pretend I was seventeen and join the army. **

Ares laughed, "You'd never make it in the army kid."

Nico let out a breathless laugh, "You'd be surprised at what this fish-boy can do."

"Hey!" exclaimed Percy, "Why is everyone always surprised that i can fight?" he asked looking at his girlfriend.

"You probably don't eat enough cereal," said Demeter.

Everyone sighed, "Oh please," exclaimed Athena, "if he's related to that excuses" she said pointing at Poseidon, "It was probably all luck."

**I'd do something.**

**Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid—poor goat, satyr, whatever—looked as if he ****expected to be hit.**

Grover sighed, "I kinda did."

"Why?" asked Percy, "I already told you, you're my best friend. It wasn't your job to protect my mom, it was to protect me." he said and put a comforting hand on his friends shoulder.

**I said, "It wasn't your fault."**

**"Yes, it was. I was supposed to **_**protect **_**you."**

**"Did my mother ask you to protect me?"**

**"No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was."**

**"But why ..." I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.**

**"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here." He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to ****my lips.**

**I recoiled at the taste,**

The Stolls gasped, "How could you not like the task of nectar?" asked Connor with a hand over his heart.

** because I was expecting apple juice.**

"Oh."

** It wasn't that at all. It was ****chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies. And not just any cookies—my mom's homemade blue ****chocolate-chip cookies, **

Nico's mouth watered, "Oh God," he said "those are _so_ good."

Percy gave Nico the biggest grin, "oh I know."

**buttery and hot, with the chips still melting. Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay.**

The girls immediately aww'ed as Percy blushed.

"That's what a good mom does," said Hephaestus as he glared at Hera.

All she could do was glare back.

**Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ****ice cubes hadn't even melted.**

**"Was it good?" Grover asked.**

**I nodded.**

**"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.**

**"Sorry," I said. "I should've let you taste."**

"Are you crazy?" exclaimed Artemis, "That could kill him."

"I know that now!"

**His eyes got wide. "No! That's not what I meant. I just... wondered."**

**"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's. Homemade."**

**He sighed. "And how do you feel?"**

**"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."**

**"That's good," he said. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that ****stuff."**

**"What do you mean?"**

**He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table.**

**"Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."**

**The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse.**

"Farmhouse?" asked Silena.

"The Big House." said Percy, correcting himself.

**My legs felt wobbly, trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the Minotaur horn, but I ****held on to it. I'd paid for that souvenir the hard way. I wasn't going to let it go.**

**As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.**

**We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the ****valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture—an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena—except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.**

Charlie laughed, "Your not hallucinating." he said, "They really do have wings."

Percy avoided answering, not being able to face his now-dead friend.

**Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blond haired girl who'd spoon-fed me popcorn-flavored pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.**

**The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair ****so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels— what do you call them, hubbubs? No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my stepfather.**

Dionysus scoffed, "Oh please, Peter Johnson."

"It's Percy Jackson!" exclaimed the Demi-gods and Poseidon in frustration.

**"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's ****Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper,**

"Just a camper?" huffed Annabeth.

"That is not what I meant." defended Grover.

** but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron... ."**

**He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.**

**First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the ****thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.**

**"Mr. Brunner!" I cried.**

"I wondered why you called him that when you first saw him," said Annabeth.

**The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they ****sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers **_**B**_**.**

The Stolls high-fived, "That'd be awesome!"

**"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."**

"What's that...?" asked a few of the children.

Dionysus huffed. "This generation is a disgrace," he murmured under his breath.

**He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and ****heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."**

"Aren't you cheerful brother." said Aphrodite with a fake smile.

**"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little farther away from him because, **_**if **_**there was one thing I had ****learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice. If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.**

"He better be a stranger to alcohol." said Zeus with a stern glare.

**"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl.**

**She came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to ****health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."**

**Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."**

**She was probably my age, maybe a couple of inches taller, and a whole lot more athletic ****looking. With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly what I thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image. **

Both Annabeth's glared at him. "You don't like my eyes?" his girlfriend asked with a stern glare.

All the teen's "oooohhhh'd" and Percy glared at them before turning to his girlfriend and holding up his hands in protest, "That is not what I meant at all."

Annabeth continued to glare, as did Athena, both expecting an explanation.

Percy sighed and pulled his girlfriend close. "I love your eyes," he whispered "they are so unique and amazing. They are so gorgeous and I wouldn't want you to change them for anything."

Annabeth blushed and smiled at the floor. She wanted to kiss her boyfriend so badly but she knew she couldn't right now, so she settled for smiling at Poseidon and nodding, letting him know it was okay to continue. She avoided her younger self's curious gaze.

**They were startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight.**

"She probably was," murmured Nico.

**She glanced at the minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined she was going to ****say, **_**You killed a minotaur! **_**or **_**Wow, you're so awesome! **_**or something like that.**

She gave a laugh, "Keep on dreaming Seaweed brain."

He gave her a light shove, "You think I'm amazing Wise Girl." he said with a grin.

**Instead she said, "You drool when you sleep."**

Everyone gave a chuckle.

**Then she sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her.**

**"So," I said, anxious to change the subject. "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?"**

**"Not Mr. Brunner," the ex—Mr. Brunner said. "I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may ****call me Chiron."**

**"Okay." Totally confused,**

"Really Percy?" asked Thalia, "Have you remembered nothing from his classes?"

Percy chose to ignore her.

** I looked at the director. "And Mr. D ... does that stand for ****something?"**

He Gods sighed, this would not end well.

**Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me like I'd just belched loudly. "Young man, ****names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."**

**"Oh. Right. Sorry."**

**"I must say, Percy," Chiron-Brunner broke in, "I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time ****since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."**

**"House call?"**

**"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, ****keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to ... ah, take a leave of absence."**

**I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago, but I did ****have a fuzzy memory of there being another Latin teacher my first week at Yancy. Then, without explanation, he had disappeared and Mr. Brunner had taken the class.**

**"You came to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked.**

**Chiron nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first. We contacted your mother, let her ****know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."**

**"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"**

**"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair, though I didn't know why he should b****e so afraid of a pudgy little man in a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt.**

Dionysus smirked looking at the young satyr, he _should_ be afraid.

**"You **_**do **_**know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.**

**"I'm afraid not," I said.**

**"I'm afraid not, **_**sir**_**," he said.**

**"Sir," I repeated. I was liking the camp director less and less.**

"It happens to everyone," murmured the Stolls under their breath.

**"Well," he told me, "it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest ****games ever invented by humans. I would expect all **_**civilized **_**young men to know the rules."**

"Percy isn't exactly _civilized_," said Connor with a laugh.

**"I'm sure the boy can learn," Chiron said.**

**"Please," I said, "what is this place? What am I doing here? Mr. Brun—Chiron—why would y****ou go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"**

**Mr. D snorted. "I asked the same question."**

**The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile. ****Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know that no matter what my average was, **_**I **_**was his star student. He expected **_**me **_**to have the right answer.**

**"Percy," he said. "Did your mother tell you nothing?'**

**"She said ..." I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea. "She told me she was ****afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably couldn't leave. She wanted to keep me close to her."**

**"Typical," Mr. D said. "That's how they usually get killed. Young man, are you bidding or ****not?" **

**"What?" I asked.**

**He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.**

**"I'm afraid there's too much to tell," Chiron said. "I'm afraid our usual orientation film won't ****be sufficient."**

"What is the orientation film about anyway?" asked Percy looking at the campers.

"It's just a short film explaining the demi-god stuff." said Nico with a shrug. "Mainly just the Gods are alive and how Chiron is a centaur and how we were born and stuff. It also talks about why they can't talk to us and the dangers we might face."

"I wanna watch that when we get back."

They sighed, "Not like you'll see anything you don't already know Kelp Head."

"Shut up Pinecone Face," said Percy "I still want to see it."

"Fine," she said with a huff as she crossed her arms.

**"Orientation film?" I asked.**

**"No," Chiron decided. "Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know"— ****he pointed to the horn in the shoe box—"that you have killed the Minotaur. No small feat, either, lad. What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods—the forces you call the Greek gods—are very much alive."**

**I stared at the others around the table. I waited for somebody to yell, **_**Not! **_**But all I got was Mr. D yelling, "Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!" He cackled as he tallied up his points.**

**"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke c****an?"**

**"Eh? Oh, all right."**

**Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can and chewed it mournfully.**

**"Wait," I told Chiron. "You're telling me there's such a thing as God."**

**"Well, now," Chiron said. "God—capital **_**G**_**, God. That's a different matter altogether. We ****shan't deal with the metaphysical."**

**"Metaphysical? But you were just talking about—"**

**"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: ****the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter."**

**"Smaller?"**

**"Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class."**

**"Zeus," I said. "Hera. Apollo. You mean them."**

**And there it was again—distant thunder on a cloudless day.**

**"Young man," said Mr. D, "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, ****if I were you."**

**"But they're stories," I said. "They're—myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. ****They're what people believed before there was science."**

The Gods - minus Poseidon and Hestia - glared at Percy.

"Oh come on," said Poseidon, "almost every child did not believe us at one point when they were first told." He said with a sigh, "why is this any different."

Hestia gave Percy a warm smile as the Gods looked away in frustration. Percy sent her and his father a smile.

**"Science!" Mr. D scoffed. "And tell me, Perseus Jackson"—I flinched when he said my real ****name, which I never told anybody—"what will people think of your 'science' two thousand years from now?" Mr. D continued. "Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo jumbo. That's what. Oh, I love mortals—they have absolutely no sense of perspective. They think they've come **_**so-o-o **_**far. And have they, Chiron? Look at this boy and tell me."**

**I wasn't liking Mr. D much, but there was something about the way he called me mortal, as ****if... he wasn't. It was enough to put a lump in my throat, to suggest why Grover was dutifully minding his cards, chewing his soda can, and keeping his mouth shut.**

**"Percy," Chiron said, "you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is that **_**immortal **_**means ****immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?"**

**I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the ****tone of Chiron's voice made me hesitate.**

**"You mean, whether people believed in you or not," I said.**

**"Exactly," Chiron agreed. "If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an ****old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that someday people would call **_**you **_**a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?"**

Poseidon's eyes hardened, "That was a little harsh." A few Gods and the campers nodded in agreement.

**My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn't going to let ****him. I said, "I wouldn't like it. But I don't believe in gods."**

**"Oh, you'd better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."**

**Grover said, "P-please, sir. He's just lost his mother. He's in shock."**

**"A lucky thing, too," Mr. D grumbled, playing a card. "Bad enough I'm confined to this ****miserable job, working with boys who don't even believe."**

**He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent, ****momentarily, and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.**

Zeus looked at the Gods with a glare that - if it could - would shot lightning.

Dionysus paled a moment before regaining his composure, "I have not had any wine since you have banished my to that blasted camp, do not look at me in such a way."

**My jaw dropped, but Chiron hardly looked up.**

**"Mr. D," he warned, "your restrictions."**

"At least someone at that camp is responsible." said Hera with a huff.

**Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise.**

**"Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"**

**More thunder.**

**Mr. D waved his hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He ****sighed unhappily, popped the top of the soda, and went back to his card game.**

**Chiron winked at me. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph ****who had been declared off-limits."**

**"A wood nymph," I repeated, still staring at the Diet Coke can like it was from outer space.**

**"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! ****Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time—well, she really was pretty, and I couldn't stay away—the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a better influence,' he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha.' Absolutely unfair."**

**Mr. D sounded about six years old, like a pouting little kid.**

"Watch your tongue Peter Johnson or I will have it removed."

"Over my dead body you will."

**"And ..." I stammered, "your father is ..."**

_**"Di immortales, **_**Chiron," Mr. D said. "I thought you taught this boy the basics. My father is ****Zeus, of course."**

**I ran through D names from Greek mythology. Wine. The skin of a tiger. The satyrs that all ****seemed to work here. The way Grover cringed, as if Mr. D were his master.**

**"You're Dionysus," I said. "The god of wine."**

**Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well, ****duh!'?"**

**"Y-yes, Mr. D."**

**"Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?"**

Said Goddess huffed, he was in no way worthy of being her.

**"You're a god."**

**"Yes, child."**

**"A god. You."**

**He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that ****this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a strait-jacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.**

**"Would you like to test me, child?" he said quietly.**

**"No. No, sir."**

**The fire died a little. He turned back to his card game. "I believe I win."**

The younger campers gapped, Mr. D had never won against Chiron.

**"Not quite, Mr. D," Chiron said. He set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, "The g****ame goes to me."**

**I thought Mr. D was going to vaporize Chiron right out of his wheelchair, but he just sighed ****through his nose, as if he were used to being beaten by the Latin teacher. He got up, and Grover rose, too.**

**"I'm tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, ****Grover, we need to talk, **_**again, **_**about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."**

**Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y-yes, sir."**

**Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."**

**He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.**

**"Will Grover be okay?" I asked Chiron.**

**Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates ****his job. He's been ... ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus."**

**"Mount Olympus," I said. "You're telling me there really is a palace there?"**

**"Well now, there's Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there's the home of the gods, the ****convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It's still called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the gods do."**

**"You mean the Greek gods are here? Like ... in **_**America**_**?"**

**"Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West."**

**"The what?"**

**"Come now, Percy. What you call 'Western civilization.' Do you think it's just an abstract ****concept? No, it's a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn't possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know—or as I hope you know, since you passed my course—the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps—Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on—but the same forces, the same gods."**

**"And then they died."**

There were more glares.

**"Died? No. Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a ****while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods. Every place they've ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings. And yes, Percy, of course they are now in your United States. Look at your symbol, the eagle of Zeus. Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, the Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city where the Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not—and believe me, plenty of people weren't very fond of Rome, either—America is now the heart of the flame. It is the great power of the West. And so Olympus is here. And we are here."**

**It was all too much, especially the fact that **_**I **_**seemed to be included in Chiron's **_**we, **_**as if I ****were part of some club.**

**"Who are you, Chiron? Who ... who am I?"**

**Chiron smiled. He shifted his weight as if he were going to get up out of his wheelchair, but I ****knew that was impossible. He was paralyzed from the waist down.**

**"Who are you?" he mused. "Well, that's the question we all want answered, isn't it? But for ****now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s'mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate."**

**And then he did rise from his wheelchair. But there was something odd about the way he did ****it. His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs didn't move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt. At first, I thought he was wearing very long, white velvet underwear, but as he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any man, I realized that the velvet underwear wasn't underwear; it was the front of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it must've been magic, because there's no way it could've held all of him. A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.**

Hephaestus smiled, proud of his invention.

**I stared at the horse who had just sprung from the wheelchair: a huge white stallion. But ****where its neck should be was the upper body of my Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's ****trunk.**

**"What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen ****asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers." **finished Poseidon as he closed the book.

"Who would like to read next?" he asked.

When no one volunteered Hera sighed, "Give it here and I shall read it."

Poseidon then walked over to her throne and gave it to her. She opened the book to the next chapter, "This one is called **I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom.**"

The older campers - except Nico and Thalia - laughed.

"What's so funny?" they asked.

Grover grinned, "you'll see."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading :-) <strong>

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	7. NOT A CHAPTER New user name

Hey guys I just wanted to let you guys know that I would be changing my user name. My friend recently got an account here and like just find out about fanfiction and I don't really want to know about my account on here and my name right now is something I always use so I'm changing it to 'StereKlaine' because Sterek and Klaine are my favorite OTP's and I love them so much 3

By the way, sorry about not updating often, I've just been really busy lately and haven't gotten to it. I'm also having a bit of writers block, no inspiration and stuff...

So yea... Um sorry if I got you all excited and stuff for a new chapter, but it's not. I'll try to update soon.

Bye guys, hopefully I'll see you all soon :-P


	8. I am so incredibly sorry - DISCONTINUED

Alright guys, so I've been getting lots and lots of comments that always ask me if I'm going to continue this story and a while ago i had a chapter ready and it was mainly just because you guys had been asking for it but then my computer got a virus and i lost everything on it. I've been putting off coming back to this story mainly because I really don't have any inspiration to finish it.

I mean I look back and all i can do is cringe at the terrible writing I've done and if i had the courage to re-write it all up to my new standards I might but I just don't have it in me.

I am incredibly sorry for this, I know you guys have been waiting for such a long time for updates on this story and i apologize immensely for all the unnecessary waiting for this.

I also want to say sorry to all the people who have recently followed this story and commented that they were so excited for the next chapter and this is all they get.

One day I might try to re-write this story but right now, at this time, I'm just really not happy with it.

I hope you can forgive me and this chapter will probably be up for like a day or two before i take this story down.

So so sorry,

I love you all,

StereKlaine


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